The
Brooklyn Navy Yard, now a thriving industrial park in an intriguingly historical setting, is among New York City's most interesting and dynamic places to visit. In a combination that mixes the area's rich history with newly refurbished and converted green spaces and
art studios, it is among New York's most talked about tour spots.
Normally off-limits to the public, the 300-acre Brooklyn Navy Yard complex has evolved from a closed, near abandoned site to a vibrant industrial park that hosts a variety of businesses including major motion picture studios, furniture manufacturers, architectural designers, and artists. Located on Wallabout Bay, it was first established in 1801 as the New York Naval Shipyard. Earlier, during the American Revolutionary War, the same location was used to house an estimated 11,000 American Patriots who died while being kept as prisoners aboard British ships. By 1820, the first ships were being assembled.
The location primarily served the needs of the U.S. Naval fleet, and over the course of 165 years was continually developed, eventually housing six dry docks, five piers, and more than 300 buildings, including a state-of-the-art naval hospital and science laboratory. (Only about 40 buildings remain.)
In terms of twentieth-century manufacturing on the East Coast, the Brooklyn Navy Yard was known for its innovation and accomplishment. More than
500 photographs archived by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) help tell the story of the naval yard's history. At its peak, the shipyard employed 70,000 people and produced many famous U.S. ships, including the U.S.S. Arizona that was sunk by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, an action that engaged the United States in World War II.
The two-hour tour, which is offered by the
Brooklyn Historical Society in conjunction with the tour group
Urban Oyster, begins in Brooklyn Heights. It can be taken either by bus or bicycle. (Although you are encouraged to bring your own bike and helmet, there are nearby
facilities that rent bikes; however, because rentals go quickly, reservations are recommended.) Stops include an original nineteenth-century dry dock, the dilapidated Civil War era homes along Admiral's Row (pictured, photo by Barry Yanowitz), the eerily abandoned naval hospital made of pink and gray marble, and the multi-floor, refurbished green LEED industrial space.
By 2011, the BNYDC will also open the
Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at Building 92, a comprehensive exhibition and visitor center that will reveal the site's past role as a shipbuilding and industrial manufacturing epicenter. A vast array of artifacts are being currently being collected for display in the space, including vintage U.S. Naval uniforms and drafting instruments, drawings, ship models, original gunpowder pouches, and a bronze eagle from 1899 that once decorated a naval fence post. Among the more obvious items include a host of anchors and cannons. Although the center is not yet open, those who act quickly will be able to view the last of the admirals' houses before they are
razed. Tours are scheduled most every Sunday afternoon; advance
tickets are required.
